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Art & CultureHardAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2019, GAT

The art piece "In Memoriam" was a creation of which one of the following European painters?

  1. A.Thomas Jones Barker
  2. B.Joseph Noel Paton
  3. C.Thomas Daniell
  4. D.Charles D'Oyly

Correct answer

B. Joseph Noel Paton

Explanation

The correct answer is B, Joseph Noel Paton. The Scottish painter Joseph Noel Paton painted "In Memoriam" in 1858 in response to the revolt of 1857.

The painting shows British women and children huddled together, clutching the Bible and waiting helplessly for an attack, an image meant to recall the killings at Kanpur (Cawnpore). It was first shown with Indian rebels bursting in, but this was later changed to Highlander soldiers arriving as rescuers. Such pictures shaped the British view of the revolt as a struggle to protect innocent women and to restore order, and NCERT uses it to show how the revolt was represented in British art.

A is wrong because Thomas Jones Barker painted "The Relief of Lucknow" (1859), showing the arrival of Campbell's forces.

C is wrong because Thomas Daniell, with his nephew William, made aquatint views of Indian landscapes and monuments in the late eighteenth century.

D is wrong because Charles D'Oyly was a colonial official and amateur artist known for sketches of Dhaka and Bengal life.

Exam tip: 1857 in British art – Paton's "In Memoriam" (1858) and Barker's "The Relief of Lucknow" (1859).

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Q1.Art & CultureAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2025, GKMedium

Consider the following statements about Ajanta Cave paintings :

1. The paintings depict yakshas, gandharvas and apsaras.

2. The artists have used the technique of providing "multiple perspectives".

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 only
  3. C.Both 1 and 2
  4. D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Both 1 and 2

The Ajanta paintings show yakshas, gandharvas and apsaras among their figures, and their painters used multiple perspectives to show crowded scenes.

Q3.Art & CultureAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IHard

With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements:

1. Sautrantika and Sammitiya were the sects of Jainism.

2. Sarvastivadin held that the constituents of phenomena were not wholly momentary, but existed forever in a latent form.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 only
  3. C.Both 1 and 2
  4. D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 2 only

Sautrantika and Sammitiya were schools of Buddhism, not Jainism, while the Sarvastivada view is correctly stated. After the Buddha's death the Buddhist order split into several early schools, traditionally counted as eighteen.

Q4.Art & CultureAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2020, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following pairs:

1. Parivrajaka - Renunciant and Wanderer

2. Shramana - Priest with a high status

3. Upasaka - Lay follower of Buddhism

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

  1. A.1 and 2 only
  2. B.1 and 3 only
  3. C.2 and 3 only
  4. D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 1 and 3 only

A parivrajaka is a wandering renunciant and an upasaka is a lay follower, but a shramana is an ascetic, not a high-status priest.

Q5.Art & CultureAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2025, GKEasy

Consider the following statements about Ellora:

1. This art-historical site is associated exclusively with Buddhism.

2. The Kailasa temple at Ellora has been built of dressed stone and kiln fired bricks.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 only
  3. C.Both 1 and 2
  4. D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Neither 1 nor 2

Ellora has Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves, and the Kailasa temple was carved out of a single rock, not built of stone blocks and bricks.